The United Nations and the Syrian Arab Red Crescent (SARC) are carrying out their largest ever
humanitarian convoy to provide life-saving humanitarian assistance to more than 40,000
displaced people at the remote Rukban ‘makeshift’ settlement in south-eastern Syria, on the
border with Jordan. The convoy arrived today, and the operation is expected to last
approximately one week.

The joint UN and SARC inter-agency convoy consists of 118 trucks with humanitarian assistance
and will deliver food, health and nutritional supplies, core relief items, WASH materials,
education items and children’s recreational kits to people at the site, the vast majority of whom
are vulnerable women and children. Vaccines for some 10,000 children under five-years-of-age
will also be part of the convoy as a well as a needs assessments will be carried out.

“This large-scale delivery of essential humanitarian supplies to the extremely vulnerable in
Rukban could not have happened a moment too soon. The humanitarian situation there has been
deteriorating due to harsh winter conditions and the lack of access to basic assistance and
services. There have been reports of at least eight young children’s deaths in recent weeks”, said
the UN Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator a.i., Mr. Sajjad Malik.

The primary objective of the convoy is to provide critical humanitarian assistance to displaced
people at the Rukban settlement. However, the UN also recognizes that a dignified solution,
enabling people at the site to decide voluntarily and safely how to return to normal life in a place
of their choosing is required. The UN and SARC will therefore also be carrying out an intention
survey to consult with displaced people on their wishes and priorities to inform discussions on
facilitating durable solutions.

“While this delivery of assistance will provide much-needed support to people at Rukban, it is
only a temporary measure. A long-term, safe, voluntary and dignified solution for tens of
thousands of people, many of whom have been staying at the Rukban settlement for more than
two years in desperate conditions, is urgently needed,” stressed Mr. Malik.

The humanitarian supplies that will be provided during this convoy, were identified based on the
findings of the needs assessment completed during the previous convoy in November 2018. The
delivery and distribution of relief supplies is based on the humanitarian principles of humanity,
impartiality, neutrality and independence. The UN and SARC teams will be conducting close
monitoring during and post-distributions to ensure that humanitarian assistance reaches civilians
in need.

The UN continues to urge all parties to allow safe, sustained and unimpeded humanitarian access
to all people in need in Syria line with their obligations under International Humanitarian Law.